THE Taliban said yesterday it had recruited an Afghan soldier who shot dead four French soldiers a day earlier, raising fears the militant group had managed to deepen its infiltration of the country's struggling security forces.

The killings prompted France to threaten an early pull-out from the Nato-led war. The claim of responsibility raises serious concerns about handing control of security over to the Afghan army and police, which Nato-led forces are currently in the process of doing before all foreign combat troops leave the country by the end of 2014.